Armuchee High School hosted their third annual Senior Sunrise Breakfast on August 2nd, 2024 where seniors enjoy watching the sunrise with their graduating class. They listen to inspiring speaches from Mr. Joseph Pethel, the principal at Armuchee High School, and Youth Pastor at Pleasent Valley North, Ryan Matherley, while they enjoyed Chick-Fil-A breakfast before the first Friday of the school year. The sunrise is a tradition to symbolize the beginning of the senior year. Mr. Pethel said, “It’s one of the coolest things that we do here at Armuchee High School. At the beginning of the year we try to use the sunrise as like the beginning of senior year followed by the end, senior sunset, symbolizing the end of senior year.” Many students believed his attitude was one of the biggest highlights of the event. Olivia Taft, a senior at Armuchee High School said, “Without his positive attitude it would not have been as fun as it was.”
Most of the students were nervous about going into senior year in the beginning but they eased up shortly after the Senior Sunrise Breakfast. Damia Greene, a senior at Armuchee High School, said, Mr. Pethel and Pastor Ryan really helped me be more comfortable going into senior year; he talked to us about how grades don’t define us and how this year is for the memories. He told us that it’s not about what we do in high school but what we learn from high school, and that is probably the best advice I’ve heard through all my year’s in high school[/pullquote]
This senior was nervous about how the senior year may unfold but she found herself to be more ready and comfortable than they had ever been. Shari, a senior, said, “I was more excited after the sunrise to take pictures and just genuinely enjoy it instead of being worried about our GPA and grades.” She felt that they had finally made it to the end of high school; often thinking of it as a “jail” but she now felt that is more of a fun time and a privilege and helped change the perspective from punishment to opportunity to show everything we have worked towards since freshman year.”
William Pethel, a senior at Armuchee High School, had a great time at senior sunrise breakfast and enjoyed the time with his friends, classmates, and girlfriend. Pethel claimed his favorite part was the Chick-Fil-A breakfast. He said, “I love Chick-Fil-a so having that really made the whole experience so much better.” However, he was not the only senior who shared that opinion. Besides the biscuit, they also enjoyed a nice cup of coffee while they watched the sunrise. Meanwhile Caleb Fellows, senior, said, “Me personally as a student, I really enjoyed the coffee and food. Everything was wonderful. It just really added to the whole experience.” The Senior Sunrise has made an impact on the students as they look forward to Senior Sunset in May.
